5 Best VPNs for South Korea - Protect Your Privacy Online

Despite being extremely technologically advanced, South Korea’s has a censored and heavily monitored internet. That’s why VPN use in South Korea is very common, particularly among the young.

A VPN service will keep your data secure and allow you to access the entire internet without restrictions.

Whether you are interested in topics the South Korean government doesn’t like, or you simply want to speak your mind on social media, the government is watching and the penalties for upsetting them can be severe.

Best South Korea VPN - The Details

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a well-known service that is a fantastic all rounder both at home and on public WiFi

Pricing

From $6.67 -
$12.95

Available on

Windows

macOS

iOS

Android

Linux

Unblocks

Netflix

iPlayer

ExpressVPN is in third, but it could easily have been in first if not for its larger price tag. You do get what you pay for, however, which is a veteran VPN that provides exceptional service. Privacy and security features are top-of-the-range thanks to a zero-logs policy, strong OpenVPN encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill switch and obfuscated servers, each of which will keep you safe from South Korea's intrusive approach to the internet.

In fact, ExpressVPN has super-fast servers in 94 countries and users can access iPlayer, Netflix US, and other popular services that are usually blocked. You can test it risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Definitely worth splashing out on, if you can afford it.

2. CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN is an easy-to-use service ideal for unblocking content from around the world

Pricing

From $2.75 -
$12.99

Available on

Windows

macOS

iOS

Android

Linux

Unblocks

Netflix

iPlayer

As an award-winning VPN that ProPrivacy considers the Best Value of 2019, CyberGhost is primed to get around censorship in South Korea. The promise of zero-logs protects your privacy and helps you avoid the prying eyes of government and ISP surveillance. You can choose from over 90 different countries to re-route your location to and connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

It is an amazing all-rounder, but don't just take our word for it. Try for yourself risk-free with CyberGhost's 45-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to refund if you're unhappy with your subscription.

3. Private Internet Access

A much loved US-based VPN service

Pricing

From $2.85 -
$11.95

Available on

Windows

macOS

iOS

Android

Linux

Unblocks

Netflix

iPlayer

Although based in the US, this long-running VPN service is revered for the care it takes over its users' privacy. It is, indeed, about the only VPN service in existance to have its no logs claimed proved in court - not once, but twice!

PIA unblocks US Netflix, plus a bunch of other popular streaming services. It offers a ShadowSocks proxy for censorship prevention, port forwarding, split-tunneling, and DNS-based ad and malware blocking. It operates over 3000 VPN servers in 45 countries. These don’t include South Korea itself, but do include Japan and Hong Kong.

4. Surfshark

Lots of features for a low price

Pricing

From $1.94 -
$11.95

Available on

Windows

macOS

iOS

Android

Linux

Unblocks

Netflix

iPlayer

Based in the British Virgin Islands Surfshark offers a fully-featured VPN service that is also budget-friendly. These features include unlimited simultaneous VPN connections, Smart DNS, split tunneling, static IP addresses, DNS ad-blocking, multihop VPN, and 1700+ servers in over 62 counties.

Needless to say, many of these servers are located in East Asia, including in Hong Kong (great for defeating censorship), Japan, and in South Korea itself. If you encounter any problems , there's a 30-day money back guarantee and 24/7 Live Chat support.

5. VyprVPN

A robust VPN that has servers globally and watertight privacy features to keep your data secure

Pricing

From $2.50 -
$12.95

Available on

Windows

macOS

iOS

Android

Linux

Unblocks

Netflix

iPlayer

This well-established VPN service owns its own server network, which is good news for both speed performance and privacy. It has also relocated from the United States to Switzerland in order to booth its privacy credentials further, and is now the only VPN provider on the market to have its no-logs claims fully independently audited.

VyprVPN offers 24/7 customer support, a 30-day money back guarantee, and Chameleon stealth tech (useful if you visit China). It will also unblock most popular streaming services, including US Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

With some 700 servers in over 70 countries, it is little surprise that South Keoran users are well catered to with servers in Seoul and Tokyo.

To help you stay safe, we’ve put together this review of 5 outstanding VPNs for South Korea. We’ve selected the following VPNs from over 150 expertly-reviewed VPN services tested in the last five years.

Any of the following services will give you the anonymity you need to use the Internet without government tracking.

ExpressVPN
- Lightning fast | Apps for all platforms |24/7 live chat support

South Korean VPN services - what you need to Consider

Keep reading if you want to learn more about why you need a VPN in South Korea, and how using one can protect you.

KPop Torrents

If you're looking to download KPop torrents, then a VPN will be essential to protect your privacy. You can read more in our best VPN for torrenting guide. However, bear in mind that ProPrivacy.com does not condone or advise illegal torrenting.

unblocking Porn in South Korea

Since 2008, most porn sites are blocked by the government in South Korea. While there are porn sites still accessible, and social sharing isn't uncommon, porn is still difficult to access. Luckily, since a VPN can make you appear in a different location, you will be able to watch porn without any issues.

Online Privacy

The government in SK tries to maintain traditional values. That means they do not like people visiting websites that cover topics like pornography, gay rights, or even social media sites where you can comment without their control.

A South Korea VPN (a VPN that works well in South Korea) can protect you against the government’s snooping. The VPN will disguise messages going to and from your computer so that the censors can’t read them. All they will be able to tell is that you are using a VPN (which so far remains legal in South Korea).

Streaming Services

A more general benefit of using a VPN in South Korea is that it gives you access to streaming media services in other countries. These services try to block people from outside their service area from viewing their content due to contract requirements.

A VPN gets you around these blocks by letting you connect to the streaming media servers using a VPN server located in an allowed country.

The streaming services try to prevent this, but the VPNs on our list are able to get around those restrictions.

VPNs for South Korea Conclusion

Despite the government’s best efforts to control what people say and do online, choosing the right VPN for South Korea will let you evade the government’s controls. However, you need to be sure that the VPN you choose is secure and reliable enough.

While many VPNs are not up to the task, all the VPNs in this review will do the job.

They will also provide lightning-fast connection speeds to ensure you can do data-intensive tasks online. Don’t take a chance on a substandard VPN. Use one of the best VPNs for South Korea and stay safe while enjoying truly free internet.